This invention relates to apparatus for producing a propulsion force.
Various prior proposals have been made for apparatus which produces a propulsion force from masses which are rotated eccentrically. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,998,107 and 4,095,460 of Cuff. Further examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,584,515 Matyas and 3,807,244 Estrade. However these devices have severe limitations on the rotation speed of the masses which can be obtained either in view of high centrifugal forces which are applied to a central shaft or various other limitations for example fluid flow limitations or other force limitations due to high centrifugal forces which are generated by rotating bodies.
A further example is raised by Cuff in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,700 which shows a rotatable body carrying masses which can move radially but are confined by a track. This device however lacks vibration isolation, uses multiple cylindrical arms which is complex and therefore expensive. It also generates a high unbalanced load on the main mounting shaft which cannot be balanced out dynamically. This limits the rotational speed and prevents the production of a useable net force.
A further example is shown in European Patent Application No. 128,008 (Thornson) which rotates two bodies each carrying an eccentric mass. In the latter case, however, the eccentric forces are communicated to bearings and thus severely limit the speed of rotation which can be achieved.
For these reasons very limited success has been obtained by devices of this type although the principal can be demonstrated to be effective.